The Guardian's Jewels
by Renoku
Summary: Something is wrong with Aster. Something is very, very wrong. With the Warren destroyed and his friends in danger, how far will Aster go before the shadows consume his soul and destroy all life on earth? JACKRABBIT WEEK 2014; Prompts from the event blog following a plotline. TW: Blood, Character Death, violence, language; Hopefully a lot of angst.
1. Day 1 - Fight

There were three things he noticed when he entered the Warren:

One: Aster had six arms.

Two: blood stained his fur, splattered across the grass in wide arcs around him.

Three: sprawled out on the earth before him, broken and unconscious, was Jack.

Before he even thought to assess the situation, Sandy lashed his sand whips out, and they bound Aster within their golden coils. Aster didn't react, standing calmly within the ropes. The glittering weapons gleamed in the light, just as the world began to go dark.

The everlasting light of the Warren – the life force of the earth – flickered. For a moment, the sand weakened.

Sandy felt the shock pass through his entire being. His body fell apart in that split second, just grains of dust suspended in space. Almost immediately, he came back together, left with a sense of impossible breathlessness. His whips dissipated into the ground, scattering among the blood seeping into the grass.

Then Aster spoke, deadly quiet, "I'm the last Pooka, Sandy. I'm the last one. I created life on this planet. What if I took it all away?"

His voice carried no bitterness, just an eerie calm. His three sets of arms relaxed at his sides, and he seemed unaware of the blood staining his paws. Instead, he only tilted his head curiously down at Jack's body, as if studying an inconvenient anomaly in his creation. Not a hint of pain lingered in the muscles of his broad back, or betrayed his words.

This wasn't Aster. The realization hit Sandy, and the Dreamsand shifted above his head in an alarmed rush.

Aster simply raised a single paw in Sandy's direction, and suddenly the fallen star couldn't move a single bead of sand. He remained, frozen, in the air, his expression unable to express the rage that was beginning to bubble in his heart.

Calmly, Aster turned his head away from Jack. His emerald eyes were void of emotion, a blank slate in the usually lively face of Bunnymund. As Sandy watched, horrified, a film of black shadow rolled over the Pooka's green gaze, only to disappear again, as if a trick of the light.

Aster took a step, and then another, his feet padding lightly in the grass as he approached Sandy.

"What are you doing here, Sanderson?"

Jack's form shifted on the grass. Sandy saw it out of the corner of his eye, unable to react except to attempt a glare at Aster.

No, this wasn't Aster. This was far, far worse.

"If I broke you apart, would it hurt?" Aster asked, his voice taking a lighter tone now. His ears perked up, as if interested. "I killed you for a moment there, did you feel it?"

He'd felt nothing. He'd felt ecstasy, felt chaos, felt everything and yet only an empty void.

"I could think of worse."

Jack coughed, rolling over on the ground. Aster's ears swiveled around to catch the sound, and he turned, still holding out a paw to keep Sandy in place. He paced across to Jack's body, peering down again.

"B-Bunny," Jack hacked.

Aster replied blandly, "You're not dead. Did it hurt?"

Despite his position, a weak laugh left Jack's lips. "Yeah, it hurt. Is that all you got?"

The corner of Aster's mouth twitched, and he repeated, "I could think of worse."

"See, that's how I know you're not Aster. The Kangaroo doesn't think."

"I am Aster."

"No, you're not."

Jack was on his back now, staring up at Aster towering over him. A smirk decorated his lips, dried blood staining his chin and neck. The front of his hoodie was ripped open, burst, and covered with the same dark blood. Some of it trailed through his hair, brightly coloring the white cloud.

He continued, sarcastic, "I think I'll call you something special, because of how much you remind me of Aster."

"I am Aster."

"Maybe Furball? No, you don't look cuddly enough," Jack said, ignoring the comments.

"I am Aster."

"No, you're not. You look like Bunny, you have his voice, and you're annoying, but you're not Aster."

The shadow passed over Aster's face once again, and he snarled. In an instant he had two paws levitating Jack above the ground, holding the sprite in the air. But Jack could still move, and he smiled even wider.

"What would you know?"

"You don't talk like him," Jack replied. "And Bunny doesn't have magic floating powers, that's my thing. And there's one other thing I know about him."

"And what's that?"

Jack's façade dropped with his smile, and he locked his startling blue eyes with Aster.

"Aster loves me."

With an enraged roar, Aster slammed Jack back down to the earth, dirt spraying everywhere. Jack coughed more blood, the drops flying across his chest. He groaned as he settled back down, only for Aster to ignore him as he turned back to Sandy.

"And what do you know, Sanderson? Do you think I'm Aster? I am Aster! And I never loved a spirit named Jack Frost." He spat the last word, "_Never_."

Sandy could still not react, but in his mind he saw only the dreams of Aster, the real Aster. He saw the deepest hopes and desires that even the Pooka could never realize. He felt the pain, the longing, and then he felt his own rage boiling beneath his surface.

The ignorance of life, he thought, only led to death.

"I don't love him, I don't love this world, and I think it could do with a little less _life_."

With that final statement, Aster's emerald eyes went completely black. The darkness filled the last speck of white within his gaze, covering the Pooka's broken soul with only chaos.

Jack groaned out, "Aster, don't–"

"_Don't call me Aster_," the Pooka snarled. "You don't know who I am anymore. You never did." He turned his empty eyes to Sandy. "I'm tired of your dreams, Sanderson. They aren't mine anymore."

Suddenly, the impossible breathlessness returned, and Sandy felt his form break apart.

"You should never have come here, Sanderson. I wish you only nightmares."

Sandy fell to the ground, and as his sand crumbled around him, two taps sounded on the earth, and Aster disappeared.

Jack scrambled to his feet, ignoring the injuries across his body. Frantically, he stumbled to Sandy's side.

The fallen star was falling once again, it seemed. His feet were gone, as were his arms, reduced to piles of golden dust on the earth. The sand seemed dull, lifeless. He could move his face again, however, and smiled up at Jack.

"Sandy!" the sprite cried, "Sandy, I'm so sorry! You're going to be all right, I promise. I'm so sorry Sandy, I never meant for this to happen." Tears began to well up in Jack's eyes, as he saw Sandy's torso crumble away. "I'm so sorry, Sandy. This is all my fault." The sprite's voice broke, and he sobbed.

A flash of confusion entered Sandy's mind, and he frowned briefly.

The tears rolled down Jack's cheeks, washing away the dried blood that plastered his skin. Sandy wondered how it had all happened, but he decided he was better off not knowing.

The Warren suddenly dimmed, the light flickering again. Jack looked around in surprise, before he focused back on his friend.

"Sandy," Jack murmured softly through his tears. "Please, what are we going to do?"

At this, Sandy could only give a reassuring smile, as the edge of his face began to break apart. Cracks spread across his face, like shattered golden glass.

Jack's eyes widened, and he held his hands out, too scared to touch. "No," he begged, panic in his voice. "No, Sandy, please; try to hold on! I'm so sorry, Sandy, you're going to be all right! I promise Sandy, just hold on! Sandy, please! Please! What am I supposed to do? This is all my fault Sandy, I'm so sorry, plea–"

The sprite's desperate cries cut off, as Sandy only closed his eyes. The cracks deepened, and then suddenly, they crumbled away. Golden sand drifted to the earth, glittering in the flickering light of the Warren. A breeze swept across the grass, rustling the blades. The everlasting sun of the Warren then went out, shrouding Jack in the dark. Stunned, he only felt the dust brush past his face, caressing his frozen tears against his skin. The wind seemed to breathe with a final sigh, before it left, carrying with it the last of the sand.

And so ended the existence of Sanderson Mansnoozie.

* * *

**A/N**: So, I forgot about Jackrabbit week until two hours ago… Heheh… I hope I made this angsty enough! I'll be following the prompts on the jackrabbit week tumblr. blog for this, but they'll all follow a plot. And I'm hoping it will get more painful as the week continues. ;)

I would write more, but it's past midnight, and I have some more writing/work to do. Heh...

Hope you enjoyed (or ironically-didn't-like-it)!  
~Renoku


	2. Day 2 - Fight

Six years had passed since the fall of the Warren.

Things changed. No longer did the flowers bloom on the trees in the spring. The winter only dragged on until the summer spirits took up their mantle. The spring faeries had suddenly disappeared from the earth, as if stolen away in the middle of the night. No one knew where they had gone to.

No one except for Jack.

On this night, the moon filled the sky, full and white, lighting up the world in a clear blue wash of serenity. Like ice, the luminescence flowed down from above. Moonbeams darted about, fulfilling their duty to protect the children in their fitful sleep. But this night was different, in more ways than one.

This night was a night of dreams.

A figure darted out from the tree line surrounding Burgess, and took flight. His silhouette was outlined in the bright circle of the moon, a lithe body carried on by the wind. A golden hood was drawn over his face, the edges of the glittering fabric coated with frost. The figure's cape billowed out behind him, wavering slightly on the breeze. If only for a moment, the entire world seemed weightless.

Shortly, he was dropped back down to the forest, before he ran out into the town. He leapt high into the air once again to land on the rooftops. Beneath his bare feet, ice spread across the houses, before the curling artwork turned gold with sand. He pulled his staff out from beneath his cape, and took the smooth wood in his hands. It knocked against the bricks of the chimneys, and the gilded frost covered where the staff touched.

Jack Frost bounded once more off of the buildings, letting the wind catch him as he fell. He was scooped up into the air, with the sand still trailing behind him in the night.

After he finished his rounds of the town, he lighted down back in the forest. He felt the rough bark of his favorite tree beneath his feet, snow lightly dusting the surface. Exhausted, he let himself pause, and he sat against the trunk, legs draped over the sides of the thick branch.

Jack pushed his hood down, revealing his white hair that glowed in the moonlight. He rested his head against the tree and folded his staff across his lap. Looking up through the bare branches above him, he saw the stars twinkling brightly in the night sky. He let out a sigh of relief. His breath clouded the air, and he closed his eyes, relaxing his tired limbs. The sight of the stars reminded him, just vaguely, of Sandy.

Instinctively, Jack reached a hand up to the pendant handing around his neck. He fingered the golden gem in his grasp, sliding his fingers over the hard rock. It was the fallen star, the Dreamsand that once belonged to Sandy. But now it became his mantle, and he carried it as a reminder.

Jack breathed in once more through his nose, wishing he could just sleep until the next full moon.

Then he heard the crack of a snapped branch below.

Jack's eyes snapped open, and he tugged his gold hood over his hair immediately. He peered down to his right, studying the snow-covered ground. There were no footprints; the sound must have come from farther off. He readied his staff in his hands, and as quietly as possible, dropped down to the earth.

The snow crunched softly beneath his feet. A breeze swept through the forest, curling around his body before washing away through the trees. Jack followed the wind, eyes shifting to remain alert. The dark branches stretched high above him, and they tipped the sky like black claws of shadow. He glanced up to see the stars peeking through. The sight of the small lights took some of the tension from his shoulders; Sandy watched over him, always.

The wind brought him to the shore of his lake. Jack paused at the tree line, tentatively scanning the frozen ice for any sign of movement.

There! Just across the water!

Jack leapt from the trees, and he flew above the figure hunched over on the ground. He remained silent as he studied the small form, trying to recognize it. When he did, he groaned.

"Violet!" he hissed, dropping down to the earth next to the figure.

The girl jumped up, shrieking in surprise. "Jack, I–!"

Jack clamped a hand over her mouth, and brought her to kneel down on the snowy ground.

"What are you doing? You can't be out here!" Jack exclaimed.

Violet shoved Jack off of her and spat, "I know that! But it's too stuffy up there with the others! Basil and Lavender were fighting again!"

"I don't care, you can't be down here," Jack reprimanded. He gripped his staff tight in his hand and looked around warily. When he looked back to the girl, he said, "It's a full moon, Violet. It's not safe."

"It's never safe anymore," Violet grumbled.

Jack hesitated, before he replied, "I'm sorry."

Violet's eyes widened and she hurried to say, "No, Jack – none of this is your fault! It's because of–"

"It _is_ my fault," Jack interrupted, eyes downcast. "I just wish… I wish I could do more for you and your people."

A moment of silence passed between them. The wind trailed through the trees, rustling the branches so that they knocked together like empty bones. Violet reached out to Jack, and placed a hand under the sprite's chin.

"You're keeping us safe, Jack. That's the most we could ever ask for." She smiled softly, her green eyes bright.

Jack smiled sadly back. Out of all the spring faeries, Violet might have been his favorite. If only she'd listened every once in a while. But she was kind, and loud, and completely different from the flowers she created at the touch of her hand.

That reminded Jack: "What were you doing down here?"

Violet simply shrugged, but the smile adorning her face told a different story. "Tomorrow's Easter, and on top of it being a full moon, so… Well, I decided to…" She bowed her head, and gestured behind her.

Jack peered over her shoulder. At the base of the tree behind them, a single flower bloomed. The deep purple petals opened to the moon above, taking the light into its delicate grace.

Jack smiled, even as he felt the itch at the corner of his eyes.

"It's beautiful, Violet."

Again, Violet shrugged. "I hadn't made one in so long… That's what happens when you let the magic build up, I guess."

The smile left Jack's face. "Well," he began, his tone becoming serious. "You can't stay here. It's a full moon, and Aster could show up any minute–"

The wind suddenly whipped through the trees, and the branches rattled loudly, raising the alarm through the forest. Jack's back shot straight up, and he frantically looked around.

"We have to go," he ordered Violet.

He took her hand in his, and for once she didn't argue. They stood, and Jack tugged her along to the lake.

On the frozen surface of the lake, the moon's reflection shone brightly. It was perfect, like a mirror. Jack and Violet made their way across the ice to the very center of the image. Violet took her place immediately, standing with the light of the moon surrounding her.

As Jack began preparing the gateway, she gazed at him curiously. Jack noticed, but didn't say anything. Instead, he drew his staff around the shape of the moon's reflection. Golden sand melted into the ice, creating a glittering circle around Violet.

"There," Jack said, his gaze snapping upward to stare at the moon. "Any minute now, and you'll be–"

"Jack," started Violet. "What happened?"

Jack paused, still staring at the moon. "What do you mean?"

"What happened to make Aster like this?"

"I–" Jack's voice broke, and he tried again, "I'll tell you when I have the time."

"But Jack–"

"It doesn't matter anyway, Violet," Jack said, looking at her suddenly. "I'm going to fix all of this, I promise."

"But Jack, it's been six years!"

"And you've lived for hundreds!" Jack snapped. "Ten more is almost nothing compared to that."

"Jack…" Violet trailed off, unable to reply.

"This will be over soon, Violet. I promise." Jack turned his gaze skyward again, and the sad smile returned. "Look, here they come."

From the moon, specks of light began to trail down to the earth. Moonbeams floated through the night air, the small spheres creating a rope to connect the worlds. They converged, a blinding swarm of moonlight, more beautiful than the stars. Like jewels, they glittered in the sky, slowly making their way to take Violet home.

The first moonbeam touched the Dreamsand on the ice. Suddenly, the entire ring came alight, glowing with power. Violet looked down at it in awe, as she always did, before she brought her eyes back up to meet Jack's.

The winter sprite froze at the sight of tears in Violet's eyes.

The faerie opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped. She shook her head, and only smiled.

"Thank you, Jack," she said quietly, the silver moonbeams lighting her face with wonder. "I–"

She cut off with a gasp, green eyes going wide. Stunned, she turned her head down. Jack followed her gaze.

The wooden point of a boomerang was embedded in her breast, straight through her heart.

"Violet!" Jack cried, rushing forward.

The faerie swayed on her feet, eyes rolling back in her head. Jack caught her as she fell and dragged her out of the gateway. He laid her down on the ice. Blood was beginning to bloom from her wound, staining her dark purple dress black.

There was nothing Jack could do, and he watched as her eyes closed, her final breath leaving her lips with the wind.

"Violet," Jack gasped, fighting back the sob bubbling in his throat. "Violet, I am so, so sorry."

He leaned over her body, and let only a single tear fall. Then, he looked up back to the tree line.

"Aster, where are you? I know you're there."

He heard the Pooka before he saw him, the rabbit's large paws cracking branches underfoot. Immediately, he whipped around to face the former Guardian. The sight of the lagomorph sent rage boiling through his bones.

"Hello, mate," the Pooka said calmly. "It's been awhile."

"It's been a month," Jack spat, standing with his staff at the ready.

Aster's six arms hung loosely at his sides, permanent now. He still looked the same as he did last month, and six years ago, if only more feral. His face remained an expressionless mask, and his eyes were black as coal.

"For humans, that's quite a long time," Aster replied. He cocked his head slightly, peering at Violet's dead body. "So is ten years, even for a faerie."

Jack's grip tightened on his staff. "You heard all of that?"

"I'd like my 'rang back, if you don't mind," said Aster, ignoring Jack's question.

"You're not touching her."

"Alright," Aster sighed, and his eyebrows moved as if he were rolling his eyes. Jack couldn't tell with them being completely dark.

The Pooka simply raised his paw, and Violet's body was levitated. Jack cried out, leaping towards her. But then the boomerang was ripped out of the girl's body, shooting through the air. Jack barely ducked in time as it whizzed past his face and into Aster's outstretched palm.

Blood spurted out of Violet's wound, splattering across the ice. Her body fell to the ground with a crack, and Jack winced, even though she couldn't feel it.

"Aster!" Jack exclaimed in rage, and he aimed his staff back at the beast. "Why did you come here?"

"You're calling me Aster now?" the Pooka asked. He wiped the blood off of the boomerang, cleaning the wood as he spoke. "Do you finally believe I'm him?"

"No," Jack said, venom dripping from his words, "I just couldn't think of a nickname bad enough for you. Answer the question."

Aster tucked the boomerang back into his bandolier, before he replied, "I was looking for you."

If Jack was surprised, he didn't show it. "Why?"

"Because it's a dreaming night. The children are having dreams. I want to know how you're doing it."

"Giving them dreams? Why would you care about that?"

"Because then they begin to _hope_. And it's not an entirely pleasant feeling."

Jack smirked, "There's nothing wrong with a little bit of hope."

Aster glanced to the side. Jack followed his gaze, to see Violet's final gift to the world. The flower bloomed pleasantly still, its purple petals decorating the base of the tree.

As Aster stared at it, the purple turned to black, and the flower withered away.

"Yes, there is," the Pooka stated simply. "How are you doing it?"

Jack bit his tongue, trying to keep the explosion of anger in check. The flower's skeleton crumpled to ash in the snow.

"MiM taught me," he lied. It was only half-true.

Aster nodded thoughtfully. "Did he teach you that, too?" he asked, nodding at the gateway in the ice.

The circle glowed brightly, still waiting for its passenger. The moonbeams clustered around it now, building the bridge to the moon.

Jack flung himself between it and Aster, panic in his voice as he shouted, "Stay away!"

Aster only looked down to Violet's body, and then to the gateway. Curiously, he tilted his head up to gaze at the moon.

"So that's where you've been hiding them…" Aster murmured, his dark eyes creased in concentration.

"You're not getting to them!" Jack cried, and he raised his staff high above his head.

With as much force as he could muster, he swung the staff down to the ice, intending to break the gateway and seal it closed.

Aster raised a paw.

Jack froze, mere inches away from breaking the ice. Aster's powers seeped into his bones, dragging him rigidly straight. Jack's body floated, suspended over the ice. The wind burst over the lake, trying to free Jack, but Aster's grip was too strong.

"A-Aster," Jack choked out, struggling to work his mouth.

The Pooka set foot onto the ice, only walking towards the gateway. He stopped before Violet's body. With a sneer, he kicked the girl to the side.

Right before he stepped into the bridge, he paused.

"I won't kill Manny. Not yet."

Jack grit his teeth, and glared at Aster. He strained to move his frozen limbs, but no amount of effort could break the Pooka's hold.

"Do you see what you've done, Jack?" the Pooka asked. "You make a mess of _everything_."

Aster's voice was deadly calm, so unlike his old self. It carried none of the gruff annoyance or raw anger of his character. Instead, his voice was cold as death, and it cut like a knife.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Jack?"

Jack felt the force around his throat loosen, and he asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Do you still hate me?"

The grip returned, and Aster's face hardened imperceptibly. His jaw locked, before he replied:

"Yes, I do."

The force of Aster's powers threw Jack away from the Pooka. He flew through the air, the wind rushing past his face in a rage. Suddenly, he slammed into a tree, and fell into the snow on the shore.

As he blinked his dazed vision clear, Jack looked up again just to see Aster step over the threshold of the golden circle.

Jack's cry was silenced by the crack of ice. The lake exploded, shards of frozen glass shooting out in every direction. As Aster walked into the gateway, he vanished, not leaving a trace behind as it broke apart.

In the chaos of the roaring wind and splitting ice, Violet's body sank beneath the surface. And from the wound over her heart, the petals of her flower emerged, turning into jewels of purple that floated up into the light of the moon.

* * *

**A/N**: Heheheheh… I have the entire plot planned out now… A lot of people are going to die… Heh… Yeah, if you were expecting fluff for Jackrabbit Week, you will be severely disappointed. The Sixth day's prompt is "Blood". Let that sink in.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed (or some mixed feeling of angst) reading this!

~Renoku


	3. Day 3 - Green

The moon crystal rose ominously from the floor of North's workshop. The arctic sunlight reflected off of the jagged crystal and bounced around the room, sending a beam straight into Jack's eye. Annoyed, he blinked the spots away, shifting to the side to see clearly.

He regarded the crystal with apprehension. He'd only seen it once before, when Sandy had died. But now a month after Easter, Manny had finally decided to speak to the remaining three Guardians. The thought sent guilt coursing through Jack's veins, and his breath caught in his chest.

Leaning heavily on his staff, Jack stared at the floor. He could still see the light of the crystal, but did his best to ignore it for the moment. Instead he focused on his breathing, on better times — times when Aster's eyes were green, full of life and hope. Times before they became dark with decay, and loneliness.

"Jack?" Tooth asked from across the crystal's pedestal. "Are you alright?"

Jack snapped out of his thoughts immediately, feigning a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Both North and Tooth knew the nonchalance was a mask, but they held their tongues. What they didn't know was why. Why Jack felt guilt over Sandy's death, over Aster's transformation. They didn't know of the events of the past six years. They only knew that their two friends were gone, and that the star around Jack's neck was all that remained of Sandy.

Why?

"You look good, friend," North stated, voice restrained. "Golden robes suit you, no?"

Jack only shrugged, the smile already fading from his face. "You say that every month."

"It's true, Jack," Tooth added, still keeping her distance from across the room.

As sincere as the words sounded, Jack knew that she felt uncomfortable with him taking up Sandy's mantle. He didn't blame her; it made Jack uncomfortable as well. The Dreamsand belonged to Sandy, floating freely through the air; not trapped inside Jack's staff for every night except the full moon.

"Do you know why Manny's calling?" Tooth asked, changing the subject. She glanced at the moon crystal, waiting for the glow to brighten further, and for MiM's to begin his message.

Again, Jack shifted on his feet. The golden cape over his shoulders fell back from his arms, pulling his jacket sleeves with them.

North's eyes widened, and he pointed to Jack's wrist. "Jack, what is that?" he asked, stepping closer.

"What? What is–" Jack gasped, and he tugged his sleeve back down.

Tooth darted over the pedestal, grabbing Jack's arm. She pushed his sleeve back up, only to release his arm as if burned.

"J-Jack…" she began, stunned. "H-How?"

On Jack's wrist, a silver bracelet gleamed. Embedded into the band were three jewels, each a deep violet that glittered in the light. They seemed to glow with power, with a life force similar to the pendant hanging around Jack's neck.

Jack stammered out, "I… t-they…"

"Jack," North interrupted, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. All apprehension was gone from his voice, and his eyes searched the winter spirit's face. His hand gave a reassuring squeeze before he continued, "Who were they?"

The sprite felt his throat lock up, and he looked to his feet. The beginnings of tears burned behind his eyes, a familiar feeling.

He gasped out, "H-Her name… Her name was Violet. She was a spring faerie."

An alarmed cry escaped Tooth's mouth, before she clasped her hands across her face. "Oh, Jack," she murmured. "Did you…" She paused. A flash of confusion flitted across her eyes. Her hands lowered, and the rapid beating of her wings slowed. She narrowed her eyes, and asked, "How did you know her?"

North shot her a look. "What do you mean?" He didn't notice Jack's muscles tense.

"No one's seen the spring faeries in more than six years, North," Tooth explained. "And before then…" she hesitated. "Well, I know that Jasmine and Lilium weren't very fond of winter spirits. Even those with beautiful teeth." She flashed a sarcastic smile to North, before glaring back at Jack.

"Tooth!" North exclaimed, taken aback by the fairy's hostility.

"He's hiding something, North!" Tooth cried. Jack's grip tightened on his staff, and he refused to look up at the woman as she said, "I know you don't want to believe it, but stop pretending that you don't! He knows what happened to Aster. He was there when Sandy died! And now for some reason he had that pendant around his neck, and another Center on his wrist!"

"Tooth! There is reasonable explanation for all of this," North said, trying to calm the woman down.

"And I want to know what it is!"

Jack only stared at the ground, feeling the cold sweat coating his neck. He shivered, so unlike him, and then he wrapped his arms around himself. Sandy's pendant around his neck suddenly weighed more than all the years of the fallen star's life, and Violet's jewels burned against his skin. As the two other Guardians continued their frantic arguing, his mind began to pound against his skull. Every breath he took shook his entire frame, and not for the first time in the past six years, his heart seemed to stop, too weak to carry the burden of his guilt.

"Manny shouldn't have a say in _any_ of this!" Tooth was shouting, "Our lives aren't just tools for his master plan–"

"Manny has nothing to do with this," Jack murmured, his voice forceful as it overcame Tooth's yells. "Even he doesn't… He doesn't know what happened."

The fury in Tooth's eyes refused to dim, and she continued to glare at Jack.

"Then what happened, Jack?"

The winter sprite flinched at the fairy's scathing tone. He looked up at her, his blue eyes glimmering with tears.

"Aster… Aster killed Sandy."

And then suddenly, all the anger was gone from Tooth's frame. Her violet eyes widened, and he shoulders dropped. She dipped down in the air, catching herself from falling.

"What?"

"Six years ago… Aster killed Sandy. It–" Jack paused, choking slightly, "It was my fault."

When Tooth didn't reply, turning away from Jack in a stunned silence, North spoke up. "What happened?"

"I… I… I wasn't…"

Jack was interrupted by a burst of light. The moon's rays suddenly joined the arctic sun pouring into the skylights, refracting off of the crystal in the center of North's workshop. Tooth looked up, her wings fluttering faster as the beams of light spread throughout the room. Jack froze on his feet, and he couldn't help the sudden fear he felt digging into his chest.

The light built into a crescendo, almost blinding, as the moon crystal became simply an orb of energy. Jack glanced away from the wonder, only to see North with eyes as wide as the stars.

And as quickly as the light came, it faded out with a blink. Standing before the three Guardians was their leader, the Man in the Moon himself.

"Manny!" Tooth cried, rushing forward immediately as the man swayed.

Jack grit his teeth, feeling his guilt deepen. Blood stained the side of MiM's kind face, his single curl of hair drooped on his head. His clothes were shred, also matted with the crimson blots. He limped, gasping, sweat plastered across his entire form. In his hand he held a single sword, and an odd one at that. But Jack paid no mind to it, only stepping back, away from the scene.

He ran into North's chest.

The Russian held his hands on his hips, frowning deeply. "Manny…" he murmured. He sounded far away, much further away than his workshop, somewhere lost in the past.

"Manny, what happened?" Tooth asked, trying to hide her hysteria with rationality.

The man gasped, leaning against the moon crystal's pedestal. Every breath from his lungs sounded pained, and his eyes blinked rapidly, as if he couldn't see.

"A-Aster…" he choked. "Aster came to – to the Moon Clipper. He – he was after the spring faeries."

Tooth sat up, rigid. "That's where you kept them?"

Manny only nodded. "Jack came to me… six years ago…"

At this both Tooth and North looked towards Jack. For a moment, the winter sprite almost stepped back. But then he steeled himself, and straightened up, holding his staff against the ground.

"Aster wanted to kill everything. I asked Manny for help."

North spoke, "Why not come to us?"

"The less people that knew…" Jack trailed off, looking between both North and Tooth. He saw the hurt lingering in North's eyes, the lost worry that sheltered Tooth. "…the better."

Something snapped in Tooth. She looked up, glaring at Jack.

"What do we do now?" she asked, he voice flat. But the question wasn't for the spirit.

Manny wheezed out a cough. He seemed to be able to string his words together better now as he said, "There's nothing to do. The faeries are dead. I have to go back, and finish this."

"No," Tooth demanded. "You're not going back." She gave up her stare at Jack, turning back to MiM. "We're going to fix this, together."

"Toothiana, there is nothing left for us to fix. Aster will soon come for us. All of us."

North stepped forward, leaving Jack behind. "Why does he do this, Manny?"

Before the old man could reply, Jack spoke up instead. "He's doing it because of me."

The silence that remained filled the room. Manny glanced up, not out of surprise, but of concern. Jack took another breath, glancing between the other two. North seemed shocked. Tooth, however, only narrowed her eyes once again.

"I hurt him," Jack continued, looking away. "He… I made him upset. And then Sandy came. I don't know why, but he came to the Warren, and then Aster…" A pause, for another breath. Jack didn't need to finish that sentence. He swallowed, and the pendant on his chest shifted. "A-and then a month ago, on the full moon, I was sending out dreams. And I found Violet. She was supposed to stay on the Moon Clipper, where it was safe. So I opened the gateway. And…"

After a few moments of Jack's silence, North grunted. "And then?"

A shaky breath left Jack's lips, misting on the air in front of him. He couldn't help the chill that seemed to linger on his bones. "Aster… Aster went through the portal instead, and he…" Jack gestured vaguely to Manny.

No one spoke, the only sound being Manny's wheezing breaths for air.

"No."

Everyone looked to Tooth, as she stood up from the ground. Her feet remained glued to the floor, as she stepped backwards. A look of pain seemed to flash across her face, twisting her mouth into a grimace. At her sides she extended her clawed nails, more like talons, and the feathers around her crown fanned out.

She grit her teeth, and repeated, "No." She bit the word off like fire. "Aster… Aster wouldn't."

Jack moved, only to freeze when Tooth's violet eyes shot to him. Hopelessness shimmered in the tears held in her gaze, a broiling anger shining beneath it.

"Aster's not a coward," she said. "Aster would've come to us. He… he _loves_ us. He would never hurt us!"

"He hurt Sandy," Jack voiced quietly. He drew his staff forward, standing it tall by his side.

The pendant on his chest glowed over his heart.

"You…" Tooth murmured, no louder than a whisper. "This is your fault."

A small whimper began in the back of Jack's throat, but he held it back. "Tooth…"

"This is your fault!" the fairy repeated, shaking her head. Her eyes were suddenly wide. "I – I can't be here."

She turned on her feet, before her wings launched her up into the air. In a single instant, she was gone out the skylight.

"Tooth!" Jack shouted.

Immediately, he called the wind to him, and he felt its power swirl. Something was off; something besides the cold north chill lingered in his breeze. The jewels on Jack's arm glittered, the loose silver chains of the band twinkling in the wind. Jack gathered the air beneath him, and like a falling star, shot out into the sky.

"Jack!"

"Let him go," Manny said, drawing North back with his words. He sounded tired, defeated. But then he spoke again, his expression grim: "Aster will be back. It's not safe to go out alone."

* * *

"Tooth! Tooth, would you just listen to me?" Jack shouted over the roaring winds.

The fairy did her best to ignore the sprite. He wings fluttered madly, beating away through the wind as the cut through the air. Below her the white snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas stretched out far and wide. The sky was cold towards her, pushing against her at every turn.

"Tooth!"

"Leave me alone!" she cried back. "Please, just leave me alone!"

The tears in her eyes finally were set free, pulled away by the violent winds. They glittered in the sun, shining into her violet eyes.

Finally, she saw the ravine to her sanctuary. The winds relaxed around her, gentle around the great palace. Tooth dropped down into the canyon, into her mountain of the Punjam Hy Loo.

The moment her feet touched down on the tile, she knew something was wrong. She looked around frantically.

All around her, the palace shone with light filtering through the mountain's cracks. The vines climbed over the stonework, winding their ways up the towering spires. From her vantage point, Tooth could see throughout the entire palace, to every Library of Memories.

But the palace was empty.

"Baby Tooth?" Tooth asked hesitantly, searching at least for her lead fairy. They weren't dead; she'd have felt it if one had died. "Baby Tooth!"

Panic was starting to set in now, and she felt it beating alongside her heart.

"Baby Tooth!" she cried. "Baby Tooth, where are you?"

Her wings fluttered weakly as she looked around. Everything else seemed normal. There were the tooth boxes, untouched and organized. The tiles were shining, freshly cleaned. The stone spires were covered with the vibrant green vines, the shifting, roiling mass of jade that… moved…

"Hello sheila. It's been six years."

Tooth gasped, a flash of pain shooting through her entire body, blinding her, as she felt the weapon plunge into her back.

"TOOTH!" Jack screamed, swooping down into the palace.

Aster chuckled, a deep rumbling laugh that sounded so _evil_.

"You have so many little helpers, Toothiana. Are you trying to make me jealous?" The Pooka pulled the boomerang out of Tooth's back, letting the fairy fall to the floor.

She choked when her body hit, coughing up blood. "A-Aster…" Her violet eyes, such a pretty shade of purple, looked out of the corner of her eye to see the rabbit.

His fur turned a dark grey now, his six arms still swinging at his sides. He smirked, but it didn't look like the kind, antagonizing smile that made Tooth feel safe in his sarcasm. No, it bled with malicious intent, his white teeth shining from between his lips. With pitch black eyes, he stared at Jack.

"Oh, no you don't, Jack," he said, holding a paw up.

Jack stopped in midair, but he wasn't frozen. A look of confusion passed across Aster's face.

"You've changed," observed Jack, his voice small.

"How are you…?" Aster's eyes searched over Jack's form, and landed on the silver bracelet. The Pooka scowled. "Yes, I've changed, Jack. Thought you'd figure it out after six years."

"No, I mean you changed again. You're thinking."

"Killing does things, Jack. Wonderful things! But yeah, it changes you."

A cold wind burst through the palace, whipping between the spires violently. The force buffeted Tooth, sending her rolling onto her back. She coughed up more blood. Jack glanced down at her briefly, before looking back up again.

The sound was terrifying. The air whistled through every hole in the mountain. A sound of a thousand dying souls filled the air, moaning in every agony to ever shake the earth. Dust rained down from the ceiling, clouding the air. Against Jack's chest, Sandy's pendant whipped around wildly.

As the wind settled, Jack leveled his staff to point at Aster.

"Will it change me?"

Aster only remained placid, unimpressed by the show. "Probably, but we won't be finding out just yet. I have another appointment today."

A shudder racked Tooth's body, and she coughed once again.

"Are you not dead yet?" Aster sighed. He took his boomerang in his hands, and swung it down.

"Ah!"

The pained cry left Tooth's lips shortly, only to be cut off with a gasp.

At first, nothing happened. Then, the first feather fell.

One by one, the feathers drifted from Tooth's body. She fell apart, molting down into a pile of green and blue. The feathers fluttered across the tile, before settling. In a broken life, the quills of color crumbled into ash.

Tears flowed steadily from her violet eyes now. She looked from Aster, with his black eyes and corrupted soul, to Jack.

Memories flashed through her mind. Jack, smiling, as he took the Guardian's Oath. Aster, painting his eggs before Easter, too busy to talk but just tolerant enough for Tooth to hover over his shoulder as he worked. The two of them, throwing snow at the Pole. Warming up before the fire after one too many tosses into Aster's face. Curling up on the couch, Jack prodding the Pooka until they laughed until they cried. Lingering afterwards, just a touch longer. The way Jack looked at Aster, with something more than admiration shimmering in his gaze.

She wished…

The wind blew once more, taking with it the last of her. Soon, all that was left was a single feather, the same green as spring.

Jack lowered his staff, stunned.

"I…"

Aster spoke up, "I'm assuming you'll want to keep that. Go ahead; I have no use of it."

The sprite only stared, stunned. He fell to the ground, to his knees, and only stared.

Aster harrumphed, before turning away.

"Why?"

The rabbit's ear perked, and he looked back. "What?"

"Why don't you kill me?"

"Because you're the last one, Jack. After everything else, you will be the last one."

Bunny tapped the ground twice, and disappeared.

* * *

**A/N**: So my last authors note deleted, so I'm keeping this short-and-sweet. I'm sorry for the lateness, school got in the way. Next chapter will be up tomorrow. I'll probably write it during class. I hope to get it up tomorrow, at least...

I love you guys a lot, and thank you for all who read this! Sorry for the over-dramatization as well. Aster's kind of a drama queen. (Was that a spoiler? I think it was.)

I hope you enjoyed! Also, next chapter of Learning to Live will be up soon as well. (That is most likely a lie, but I'll try.)

~Renoku


	4. Day 4 - Blue

"North! North, open the door!"

Jack's fist pounded on the wood, shaking the door to North's workshop. The entire frame rattled on its hinges with the desperation of Jack's blows. With every strike, the sound boomed through the entire hallway, rumbling the tormented man that hid inside.

"Hет!" shouted the Russian from within the walls, "I will not risk life on fool's money!"

The pause of the knocking was obvious, and North could almost feel the sprite's annoyance. But it quickly started up again, with a renewed fervor or anger and fear.

"North! I'm being serious! Aster could be here any minute; just let me in!"

"Hет!"

The man was adamant. He'd built a barricade against the door, a heap of his worktables piled atop each other before the massive frame. And behind it, standing firmly in the center of his entry hall, North held his sabers in hand, focused entirely on the threat beyond that thick barrier of wood and metal.

"North!" Jack cried. His voice suddenly was quiet, and the blows against the wood stopped. When Jack spoke again, somehow the wind carried the near whispered words to the man. "He killed Tooth."

Time stopped. North's heart skipped a bear, and his grip loosened on his blades. For a split second, the man found that he could not breathe.

"No…" he whispered. He clenched his fists, and with sheer denial he brought the weapons back up. "No! Not possible! Jack is with her!"

"I am Jack!"

"Hет!"

"North!"

The man turned away. "Phil!" he called out. The yeti rushed into the room, from where the rest of his comrades took shelter, frightened down even to their courageous cores. "Take care of intruder."

The yeti grumbled in protest, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Hет! Is not Jack! Is imposter! Trick of Bunny's. Jack would not lie about… Jack would not lie!"

"Phil started to argue again, but North waved his saber carelessly in dismissal. "Go, then! Leave me!"

Jack had given up on knocking, and the silence was almost deafening. But as Phil shuffled away, a loud explosion echoed throughout the workshop. North whipped around to face the door, and the quaking of the entire mountain subsided.

Another crash of a bomb burst against the doors. As North watched, frost began to curl past the wood, inching across the barricade. The ice painted the tables in swirling patterns. And then suddenly, they became jagged.

Wicked sharp spikes of ice dug into the door, ripping it open. But the fortress held, even as Jack threw another attack against the defenses.

"What is… What are you doing?" North exclaimed.

"You really should have listened to him, mate."

The instant he heard the voice, North froze. His grip became rigid on his swords, but the words only continued.

"The bloke's an idiot, yeah, but he'll destroy everything to get what he wants."

North roared, and his blades flashed in the air. They swung down to point at the rabbit, wickedly sharp in the arctic sun of the workshop.

Aster barely flinched, aside from the twitch of an ear. He analyzed his claws on one of his six paws, pointedly ignoring the angry Russian about to run him through.

"Unfortunately, I'm here first."

Another cry left North's throat, and he rushed the Pooka, aiming for the throat. With a flash of grey fur, Aster whipped his boomerangs into the air. The wood crashed into the blades.

"You're a little old for this, Nicholas. Do you really want to fight?" bit Aster, his green eyes suddenly intense as they glared at the man.

North gasped, straining against the Pooka's strength. "Who are you?" He grunted, pulling away quickly. Once he had a new stance, he leapt again, only for Aster to counter his attack.

When the Pooka spoke next, it was through grit teeth and deadly quiet.

"I am someone who's fought more battles in one lifetime than you could in an eternity. Do you really want this fight?"

"You," North spat, "You are not Bunny."

Aster scowled. "But I am."

The Pooka reached down with a free paw to his bandolier. North barely registered the movement before he heard the click.

A cloud of pink exploded into the air, and North reeled back from the egg grenade. The gas clogged his breath, and he coughed, hacking out air as fast as he could.

In the chaos, Aster kicked the man's hand, and his left sabre flew high into the air. It cut through the fog, and as the paint cleared, North was left standing in the center of his workshop, facing the angry beast on guard.

"Now this is a little better, isn't it?" Aster chuckled. "Just like old times, isn't it, mate?"

"Нет!" North cried.

Aster raised a paw, and ticked his finger. "Ah, ah! Lying will get you on the naughty list, North. You know that."

Enraged, North shouted out, and charged.

Their blades clashed together in a ringing symphony of metal. The weapons flashed in the arctic sun, every reflection of light blinding off of the swords. With a grunt of restraint, Aster barely managed to keep his five other arms from lashing out.

He wanted to finish this properly.

"You're not fleeing like Manny did!" Aster cried, voice high on adrenaline. "Where is the coward?"

North hissed, "Nowhere near the likes of you! Pitch Black!"

The name shot through Aster's ears. In a single instant, his eyes went wide, vibrant with fury. He roared, and their battle resumed.

They danced a dance of the Guardians, a battle that had begun in the Golden Age. They fought for the Constellations of the time before, for Tsar Lunar himself, and they were terrifying.

Every attack North made, Aster returned ten-fold. He was a beast, mindless in his rage, in his fear, as the wars of his people flashed before his eyes. In his ears he heard the cries of his loved ones, but in his vision he only saw black.

"I'd tell your little elves to pack up and run too, Nicholas!" he screamed. "Once I'm through with you, they'll be next!"

North swung his sword in a wide arc. "You will not win this fight, Bunny! Stop, now, and I can help you!"

"You can help me?" Aster shouted, hysterical. "The only one here who needs help is bloody Jack Frost! The heartless bastard that hurt us all!"

As if to prove his point, another explosion of Jack's magic burst against the windows. The sprite had moved from the door, only to meet North's enchantments on the glass as well.

The swords met again, and North's blade slid to the hilt, scraping against the metal in sparks.

"What are you talking about?" the Russian cried. "He loves us! He loves you!"

Aster's grip tightened, and his nostrils flared in anger. "He did a damn good job of showing me that when he started all of this! It's all his fault, North, all of this! I hate that sprite more than I hate living with myself, North! He's the reason Sandy is dead. He's the reason Tooth died!"

With another cry of rage, North leapt back. "Нет!" he shouted, brandishing his blade before him. "Tooth is not dead!"

For a moment, Aster only stood, breathing heavily in the break of the battle. He raised his sword at the ready, but then the words seemed to reach him.

He laughed. It was a slow, low laugh, filled with spite.

"She's dead, Nicholas," he said lowly. "Sorry to break it to you, but she's dead. I killed her."

Hopelessness washed over North, and for single moment, his stance faltered. "No…"

It was the chance Aster needed.

The Pooka leapt forward, and he plunged his blade into North's stomach.

The man gasped, stunned, as he looked down at the sword impaled in his body. His entire form tensed, as his own sabre clattered to the ground. First, he rose one hand, to wrap it around the blade, and then another, as if he could pull it out with his own dying strength.

Aster only sneered, ears flat against his head, as he dug the sword in deeper.

"She was beautiful as she died, North. Feathers everywhere, as she drifted away. You should've seen her."

North choked, as he felt the blood bubbling up in his throat. The dark liquid began to bleed from his wound, trailing down the blade he gripped in his hands.

Aster twisted the sword, and a shudder racked through North's body.

"You'll see her again, Nicholas. If it means anything, you're the only one I'm truly sorry to kill."

North's eyes, clear and blue, shot up to meet Aster's. The tears began to spill, not for himself, and not even for Tooth, but for the sight before him.

The blood dripped off the hilt of the sword. And as a final gasp left North's throat, he whispered:

"…Aster…"

North's hands fell to his sides, as his blood splattered from his dead fingers to stain the floor.

Aster closed his eyes, and withdrew the blade. North fell to the ground, and his body began to fade.

The man disintegrated into snowflakes. His limbs fell to dust that drifted into the air. The glittering drops shone in the sun, as they floated up towards the skylight. And in their journey away, they carried North's final breath.

It wasn't until the last flakes were gone that Aster opened his eyes again.

There were the bloodstains on the floor, and North's sword. But next to them was only the hard wood and empty space.

"Where…?" Aster squinted at the ground, searching. "Where's his Center?"

"NORTH!"

Jack crashed through the window, the glass raining down on the workshop. The sprite panted, his hoodie torn from the wind, but he held himself tall, his staff drawn before him. Frantically, his eyes darted around the room, looking for the man.

He took in the bloodstained floor, the same sword, and then the sight of Aster.

"W-what?"

"You're too late Jack. Are you ready to die?"

The sprite seemed lost. "What happened to North?"

Aster chuckled. "Isn't it obvious?"

Jack's gaze hardened immediately, and despite the tears brimming in his eyes, he brought his staff up to aim at Aster.

"You're not going to win."

"You knew what I wanted the moment you started all of this, Jack," Aster said steadily. "I _will_ win."

"No. Because you're not Aster."

The Pooka growled, "I _am_ Aster."

"You're thinking too much. You forgot one thing." Jack said, and he drifted to the ground.

Aster raised his sword. "And what's that?"

"All of us have Centers. Phil, now!"

Aster's eyes went wide, and he whipped around, sword at the ready.

Nothing.

"What the hell are you playing at, Frost?" Aster raged, turning back to the sprite.

Jack held Tooth's feather in his hand, and then smirked.

"Made you look."

The feather burst with a blinding light, blue and bright in the air. And as the icy beams hit Aster, his vision went black.

* * *

**A/N**: No big author's note; I'm in a rush and the Annies are tonight! Who's excited?!

Hope you love-hated the chapter!

~Renoku


	5. Day 5 - Confessions

It was a memory of six years.

Before the earth had died, before the first Center had fallen, and before the Warren had gone dark, there was a sprite, and a Pooka.

Aster's grip tightened around the bouquet in his paw. He was sweating, something that almost never happened. His other paw – his only other paw – ran though the fur at the nape of his neck. His ears were twitching, swiveling every which way, and his fluffed up coat seemed stiff and on guard.

Jack watched all of this from a distance, smirking in amusement. He'd never seen the Pooka like this before. It was almost… cute.

Jack shook his head. No; no reason to think these thoughts. Not now, maybe not ever.

But for the past decade or so, Jack had begun to lose control. Not that he'd had much to begin with, if '68 was anything to go by. But it was difficult to try and pretend as if everything was normal, as if he didn't…

No, it wasn't that, no matter what Tooth said over the tea table, or what North implied while they worked on new models in the workshop. The amount of spit takes he'd taken when Tooth whispered about a certain buck-toothed spirit's "habits" almost amounted to the same mess North created with his "subtle" innuendos. Between the both of them and their playfully forceful shoves in certain directions…

Thank MiM that Sandy couldn't talk.

Jack's gaze fell to the bunch of flowers in Aster's paw. Large bursts of pale pink petals stood out among the bunch of red stars, all wrapped up in a light green paper. The bouquet crinkled as Aster's grip tightened again.

At the Pooka's obvious distress, Jack only smiled wider. The rabbit's nose twitched nervously, wiggling just a little, and his ears finally lay back in a sort of embarrassment.

A brief flash of worry stole over Jack, but he pushed it away. Instead, he decided to put the Pooka out of his misery, if only for a few short, aggravating moments.

He emerged from out behind the tree that served as his hiding spot, schooling his large smile into something more casual. The Wind came to him, sweeping him up to glide over the grass. It whistled lowly as it weaved through the Warren in an anxious rhythm.

Aster must have heard it. His ears shot straight up and swiveled around to face Jack. Not a second after did the Pooka himself look back, panicked.

The moment their eyes met, both of them froze.

Aster's green gaze widened, pupils shrinking to bare pinpricks in his vibrant eyes. "J-Jack–" he managed to stammer out. But then he clamped his mouth shut, his entire body going rigid.

The sprite couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "You alright, Bun-Bun? You seem even more serious than usual."

At his words, Aster only scowled. "Aw, rack o–" The Pooka bit off his retort in an instant, and his ears fell back once again.

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Aster spat. He looked away, down to his feet, and the bouquet fell to his side.

Now that he was closer, Jack could see the flowers better. The entire bunch was a red burst of petals, like fireworks all wrapped up in paper. Among the sharp points, pink flowing rolls of flower grew out of the center, like soft silk against the earth. As Jack watched them, however, they began to droop, much like Aster's shoulders as the Pooka turned away.

"Wait," Jack said, faster than he'd meant to. "Who're the flowers for?"

Aster looked up, his ears perking slightly. His eyes sparked bright green as he peeked back over his shoulder. "Well…" the Pooka drawled, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

"No, wait, let me guess," Jack laughed. "Are they for Tooth?"

The almost incredulous look that passed over Aster's face was priceless. "What?" the rabbit all but shouted. "No! They're–"

"Come on, Bunny!" Jack interrupted, his voice light with glee. "I know you've got a thing for her. It's obvious!"

"W-what are you talking about, mate?" Aster cried. "I do _not_ have a – a thing for Tooth!"

"Are you sure?" Jack asked, drifting higher into the air. "Because I can't think of anyone else they would be for… Unless I haven't met them." To be honest, that idea sent a shot of envy to Jack's stomach. "But you would've told me about someone like that. So who're they for? If they're not for Tooth, then they have to b–"

"They're for you, you gumby!"

Jack nearly fell from the air in shock. He righted himself, and floated down to the earth again. "What?"

Bunny ears were laid back, his face painted with anger. But then he blinked, coming back to himself. Quickly, he worked his face into something calmer, his ears falling back again. Again, his eyes flicked away, and his nose turned pink.

He thrust the bouquet out to Jack. "I… um…"

Jack stepped forward slowly, and took the flowers into his hands. They smelled strong, sweet. The sprite glanced up at Aster, searching.

"What are these for?"

Aster cleared his throat. "Well… um… mate… We've been friends for a – er – a good while now. And – and I realized that… I um…"

"Aster?"

The rabbit's head snapped up to Jack's. His green eyes were wide, with uncertainty and fear.

"I think I love you, Jack."

Jack's world stopped breathing. He looked down to the flowers, and then back up. His voice caught, so unsure of what to say.

Aster… Aster loved him? _Him_? Even after everything that they'd been through?

A feeling so full of contempt started to bubble in Jack's chest. Easter of '68, then the Easter of 2012, and then every fight after that flashed in his mind. No, this wasn't possible. Aster couldn't…

He'd spent so long telling himself that it would never happen. So long telling himself to let it go, that'd he'd eventually listened.

And now he backed up, away from Aster. He backed up, and his head shook, ever so slowly in disbelief.

"Jack?" A flash of fear shot through Aster's eyes.

"You're… you're joking…" Jack whispered, backing up even further.

Aster sputtered, "J-Joking? You think this is some sort of joke?"

Jack shook his head faster. "You don't… you wouldn't love me. It…"

"Jack, I've thought about this long and hard." When Jack only remained silent, Aster leapt forward. "Frostbite, listen to me. I love you. I… I love you so, _so _much, mate. And I know it's strange, and that maybe I shouldn't, hell, I don't even know why, but I love you." He set a paw on Jack's jaw, and looked the sprite in the eyes. "Snowflake, please. I'm not joking. Just… just give me a chance? Snowflake, just…"

He stopped talking, and instead closed his eyes. And then he leaned forward, taking Jack's kiss.

Jack's entire body went rigid. Aster's mouth fit against his strangely, his lips caught up in fur and teeth. He felt Aster's paws on his back, and then the Pooka's breath huffed out his nose in a relieved sigh. Jack's eyes fluttered closed, and his shoulders fell.

Aster was kissing him. Aster was kissing… him. Aster…

Jack's eyes snapped wide again, and he summoned up ice in his hands.

"G-get off!" he cried, his ice blasting between them. Aster flew backwards, the explosion of cold arcing in the air.

Frost stained the grass, killing it instantly. Jack's chest heaved, his breathing unsteady. When he looked up, he saw Aster's body on the ground.

"A-Aster!" he cried. Guilt washed over him, before panic overtook. He ran forward, clutching his staff in one hand and the bouquet in the other. He knelt down beside the Pooka. "Aster! Aster, wake up! Aster, I'm… I'm so sorry; I didn't mean it. Aster, please, Aster–"

Suddenly a hand shot out, grasping Jack around the throat. His breath choked, as Aster slowly stood. Then his feet left the ground.

His staff clattered out of his grip, as he raised a hand to the paw around his neck.

"A-Aster…"

The flowers fell to the earth, turning black as they withered in the air. Their life left them, as did their meaning.

"A-Aster, p-please…"

Aster's eyes looked up. Jack felt tears brimming at the edge of his vision, but he saw nonetheless. He saw, but in those emerald depths, he found nothing.

When Aster spoke, it was with a deadly calm.

"You destroy everything, Jackson."

"A-Ast-Ah-Ah!" Jack gasped as the paw tightened.

Aster smirked, but it looked so wrong. "Take a breather, mate."

He threw Jack, and the sprite sailed through the air. His body slammed into a tree – the very same tree he'd hidden behind – with a sickening crunch. A pained cry left his throat, as he felt his ribs crack. Searing pain ran through his entire body, as he crumpled to the ground.

He blinked his eyes open blearily. He saw Aster stalking towards him, his feet padding slowly across the grass. The Pooka raised a paw, reaching for his bandolier. He pulled out a brown square, smaller than the tip of his finger.

Jack's eyes widened, and Aster placed the chocolate in his mouth.

"You know," Aster muttered, a grunt leaving his throat as the transformation began. "I thought it would work. I couldn't help but imagine you and me. I imagined you with me, beneath me, _screaming for me_." He growled those last words. His voice was deep, dark, and evil, touched with a cold that bit sharper than ice.

Jack tried to stand. He tried, but his arms wouldn't move.

"You just hurt _everything_, don't you, Jackson?"

The first arm burst out of Aster's side, ripping through his fur. The Pooka let lose a roar to shatter the Warren, and another sickening crack rang out as the second arm emerged.

"I'll make you pay, Frost," the rabbit gasped. He grunted, "I swear on my people… There's nothing left for me now."

Aster turned his gaze down, and his eyes flickered black, only for a moment.

"P-Pitch…" Jack murmured.

The Pooka only smirked. "I'm not scared of you anymore."

The last two arms rippled beneath Aster's skin, and he bellowed in pain as they erupted from his torso. He threw his head back, spit flying from his maw. In the quake of the beast's rage, Jack felt hopelessness wash over him.

Aster was gone, and all that was left behind was the vessel of a beast.

* * *

**A/N**: OKAY THIS IS REALLY TERRIBLE BUT THERE IS A REASON FOR IT BEING TERRIBLE AND IT'S A PRETTY CRAPPY REASON BUT HERE WE GO:

I really just _do not_ like how this story ended up working out. And because of that, I lost a lot of motivation to write this chapter. So I spent a whole week writing draft after draft during class, and I threw away about five of them... And then you got this crap, so...

But anyways, one more chapter (thank god) and then I might just faint. Heh… Sorry for being so negative about this chapter. I just got so… _done_ with it. And then I was just like "What the hell, let's post it."

I promise the next chapter will be better. And quite possibly more painful? I'm not sure if I'm going to kill certain characters or not… (There's only three characters to choose from, so you can probably guess who I'm going to kill if I do.) Would you rather me make it a really painful ending? Or an ending that has _some_ smidgen of hope?

Obviously, angst just isn't my forte. At least, action-angst isn't. Again, I'm really sorry for the bad chapter.

I hope you were able to tolerate it?  
~Renoku


	6. Day 6 - Blood

Aster sat up from the bed with a memory hanging from his neck and a jolt passing through his body. He gasped for breath, his paws fisted into the sheets surrounding him on the infirmary bed. The sterile white light enveloped him, sending his vision black with the nightmare.

_Jack's body crashed back onto the ground, covered with blood drawn from the sprite's own chest. He lay, lifeless, as the sound of gold sand drifted into the Warren. Aster felt his ears twitch, but nothing else. Straining, he tried so hard to feel something. But nothing came to him except for a deadened fear, abandoned rage, and the sight of that golden star bright and full in his Warren._

His head pounded in agony at the remembrance of the sound. When he tried to open his eyes he saw stars. The world spun off its axis, whirling into a muddled, sickening mess. Mixed into the chaos, the lights blinded him and sent him reeling back into his shattered memories.

_Around him, the Moon Clipper blazed with flames. Golden masts collapsed, bringing down with them the charred sails of the ship. Bodies littered the surface, blood splattered across the metal, and as one of Aster's swords sliced through the air, he heard the screams of the spring faeries crying out in terror. Out of the corner of his eye, through the smoke and the chaos, Manny opened a portal. Aster roared, hurling his bloodstained boomerang at the man, but it was too late. As the portal closed, Aster's weapon returned, but not without hacking through two more brave faeries for good measure._

He rolled onto his side, a groan leaving his mouth when the pain racked his sides. Shaking, he clutched the support rail to the side of his bed with his sweating paw. The pounding in his head turned into a high ring, loud and insistent in its misery. He cried out as another vision racked his mind.

_He followed Tooth underground, sensing her above in the air, just her trail as a fairy. This he could feel, and it felt tempting. A growl began in his stomach as he emerged into the Tooth Palace. The moment he surfaced, alarmed squeaks rang out from the minifairies. A feral grin spread across his face, and the growl in his stomach moved to his throat. He raised his hackles and bared his teeth, hungry for the kill._

The world came into focus, and stopped spinning, just long enough for him to push himself up. The headache in his skull subsided, as his ears fell back against his head. Slowly, as his chaos dwindled, he blinked open his eyes. He gasped at the brief flare of pain the light set off, and raised an arm to shield his face as his vision focused.

Jack sat at the foot of the bed, staring intently at the Pooka. His icy gaze was unreadable, and his feet remained perched precariously on the edge of his stool, as if ready to fly off at the slightest sign of a threat. His staff leaned against his shoulder, the blunt end on the floor. He remained as still as a statue, frozen by some emotion kept beneath his skin.

Aster opened his mouth, and then swallowed. He gasped in a breath, and then brought his arm down. He froze. He only had two arms. Immediately, he clutched his sides, and then winced when a dull throb of pain radiated from where his extra limbs used to be.

Suddenly, Jack spoke. "You're back."

Aster let his arms drop, and stared down the bed at Jack. He felt lost, trying to figure out what was going on.

"W-what?" he asked. He coughed; his throat was sore, and it hurt to speak.

Jack's brows furrowed, and he finally moved. The sprite slid off of his stool almost fluidly, his feet touching down on the cold hospital tile. He slowly walked around to the side of the bed, still hesitant in his steps. His staff was clutched to his chest, his knuckles even paler than usual. When he reached Aster's side, he stopped, and a breath rattled his small body.

"You are… Aster, right?"

The Pooka's ears fell, and he looked down at himself uncertainly. "I… I think I am, mate."

"Oh, thank MiM!"

With that cry, Jack flung himself onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Aster's shoulders. Pain shot through the rabbit's torso, and he groaned out.

"Jackie, mate. Frostbite, that hurts!" he wheezed, and struggled to push the sprite off of him. However, Jack only clutched tighter, burying his face into the fur of Aster's chest. "Frostbite? Jack, you alright?"

Jack nodded his head, his hair ruffling up in the Pooka's fur. Slowly, he brought his head up, and looked Aster in the eyes. His blue gaze was wet, close to brimming over with tears.

"Jack," began Aster, concern layered in his voice, "What happened?"

For a moment, Jack only stared at the Pooka. Then, he sat up, drawing away from the hospital bed. He crossed back over to his stool, and resumed his perch to stare at Aster.

He asked, "How much do you remember?"

Aster blinked once, looking into Jack's gaze. The sprite's eyes dried quickly, and once again his expression became unreadable.

Without making any progress, Aster turned back to his own thoughts. Flashes of blood ran through his mind, staining metal, grass, stone, and he cried out softly. Crushing guilt wrapped itself around him, tightening with every breath he took in the past.

"Everything, mate," he answered lowly. "I remember everything."

Jack nodded plaintively. "So you know what I have to do."

Aster's arms dropped back down to the sheets. The Pooka nodded, his paws bunching up into fists. His ears fell as he looked up again.

"Even if I had a choice, I'd want you to do it." Aster's voice dropped to a whisper. "I couldn't live with myself – I almost can't…"

Jack's frown deepened. "You do have a choice."

The ferocity with which Aster shook his head startled both of them. "No! I can _feel_ him Jack. I can feel the bastard inside of me. You _have _to do it, or it'll happen again."

In an instant, Jack's staff clattered to the floor, and the sprite stood up against the bed. "Or you could learn to control it, Aster. You could stop being afraid!"

Again, the Pooka only shook his head. "That's not possible, mate. I'm always afraid of something."

"You don't have to be!" Jack suddenly shouted. "I'm here, Aster! I can help you! Pitch doesn't stand a chance against both of us!"

"We're both scared of the same thing, Frostbite. Pitch and I…"

"No! You're stronger than he is! You can beat him!"

"Not if he's working with me."

"But he's not! I'm working with you! I want to help you! I – I want..."

Jack climbed onto the bed as he shouted out, grabbing Aster's fur and pulling himself closer to the Pooka. Aster smiled almost ruefully, and placed a hand around Jack's back.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore, Jack."

Jack shouted into Bunny's chest, "You won't! You don't have anything to be afraid of, Aster!" His cries turned into sobs, "Please… Please, don't make me do this… I love you."

Jack's form shook with misery as he shuddered against Aster's body. His breath was choked with tears that fogged into the Pooka's fur, and yet the larger spirit only hugged Jack closer. He held the sprite with a defeated reverence, and despite the tears that finally escaped his closed eyes to leak into his fur, he only smiled, running his hand gently down Jack's back.

"That's why I'm afraid, Snowflake. I can't let him, or myself, hurt you again. Because then I really wouldn't be able to live with myself."

For a few moments, Jack only cried for a little longer. But then, ever so quietly that even Aster's ears could barely pick the words up, he murmured, "I've waited for you for six years. I fought for you for six years, so that I could tell you that I loved you too. So that I could say sorry for hurting you, and for causing Pitch to take control of you; so that maybe you could forgive me."

"But Jack," Aster said calmly. He placed a paw beneath Jack's chin, and brought the sprite up to look at him. "You didn't do anything wrong. None of this was your fault."

Jack only stared up at Aster, and then he felt the tears welling up once more. Quickly, he pulled away, and wiped at his cheeks.

"Then you're sure about this?"

Aster nodded solemnly, drawing his arms back to himself. "It's the only option, mate."

With that confirmation, Jack reached into the pocket of his jacket and brought out a small Russian doll. It was North's, with the huge blue eyes so blown up against the wood, and the red wrap surrounding the innocent, wondrous face.

Aster smirked. "So that's where he kept it."

Jack only nodded, and held it out to Aster. "This is going to hurt."

The Pooka only smiled wider. "It's about time."

The small wooden doll began to glow bright with a pure, white light. Almost immediately, the fluorescent hospital lights flickered off, throwing the room into near-darkness. But the glow of the doll only grew, filling the empty spaces with stardust and wonder.

Hesitantly, Jack brought the orb closer to Aster. The Pooka smiled through the beams, and grasped Jack's hands with his own paws. Together, they moved as one, and plunged the Center into Aster's chest.

Pain flooded every nerve in Aster's entire body. The Pooka screamed in the sudden agony, and yet it wasn't enough to shock him into unconsciousness. He cried out, tasting blood on his lips, as he choked on his own life.

He could hear Jack shouting dimly over the fear pounding in his mind. He blinked his eyes open, to see the boy panicking with a wide, horrified look on his face. In return, he grit his teeth, and pushed down further.

The pain became nearly unbearable, and his screams were silenced by the sheer weight of it all. And then, with a final, shaking breath, he surged forward.

He caught Jack's crying face with the kiss, pressing himself fully into the sprite. Despite the complete and utter agony bearing down on his heart, he pressed forward. Into the kiss he pushed his every ounce of feeling, giving the sprite all he had left, and trying so hard to leave behind his love.

And then he was gone.

Jack stared down at the empty hospital bed. The sheets were tousled in the dark, but the blood staining the white looked even blacker than the deadliest fear. Shaking, Jack drew in a breath, and looked to his hands. Aster's blood covered his pale skin, warm and wet and still alive.

The sprite felt the tears before he could stop them. A small, defenseless whimper left his lips, and he choked on the sob that followed. With a helpless cry, he buried his face into his hands, feeling the warmth lingering upon them. The moment his frozen tears met his skin, however, the blood dried, becoming cold as well.

And so he cried. He sobbed into his hands, knelt over on the bed, releasing the pain of six years into his own grasp, almost as if to relive it all again. He wished, so heavily, for a change, to go back, but only found the blood that stained his hands. And yet he remained, frozen on that bed in the infirmary of North's workshop.

Eventually, his sobs subsided, becoming mere whispers of his grief. He dried his eyes, and leaned back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The hospital lights flickered back on, and Jack closed his eyes against their intrusion.

A small whimper sounded in the hospital room.

Jack's head whipped down to stare at the bed faster than a falling star.

In the pool of blood on the bed sheets, as pale blue-grey as the softest clouds, a small creature lay. Its ears were long, as were its legs, but it curled up, so innocent and tired in the world, oblivious to the stained bed it lay on. Its nose was a light pink, and it twitched minutely as it stirred.

Jack stared, stunned by its sudden appearance. It released another cry, and then Jack snapped out of his shock. Immediately, carefully, he leaned down. With an uneasy hesitance, he scooped the creature into his arms.

It cried out again, snuffling softly. Jack shushed it softly, cooing, drawing the baby into his chest.

"There, it's alright…" he murmured quietly. He cradled the creature warmly to his chest, as warm as he could. "You're alright, I've got you…"

Something glimmered in the creature's paws, curled into its stomach. Curious, Jack peered down to see it.

The Russian doll stared up at Jack, stained red like his hands. But beside it, a black jewel glittered, darker than the night itself.

Jack gasped, and took the jewel in his hand, transferring the creature to the crook of his shoulder. This was the cause of it all; this was Pitch's broken, lost Center.

In a single instant, Jack decided what to do. He lifted the jewel high above his head, the jagged rock wickedly sharp in the air, and his entire arm tensed.

"Are you sure you that's the best decision?"

Jack yelped, drawing the jewel and the creature tighter into his chest as his whipped around. Standing at the foot of the hospital bed, Manny regarded Jack with an air of caution. For a moment, Jack studied the man's face, but found no sympathy.

"I have to destroy it."

"Or," Manny suggested, "you could give it to me."

Jack scoffed, "Why would I do that? It would take control of you faster than it did Aster."

"I have nothing to be afraid of. You, on the other hand…" Manny's gaze fell to the creature in Jack's arms.

Jack looked down at the animal, confused. Despite his better judgment, he asked, "What is it?"

"It's Aster."

Jack's eyes shot back up to Manny's. "What?"

"That's him as a kit. Different from his weaker form, yes, not like a rabbit, but instead a baby Pooka. Their anatomy is… strange."

"But why?" Jack asked, cradling Aster closer to his heart.

"All the Centers will be reborn eventually. North's will most likely be reincarnated as a different human, Sanderson's as another wishing star, but as Toothiana is the last of her Sisters, she will remain the same, as will Aster."

Jack's eyes dropped back down to Aster's sleeping form. "Why is he back so quickly?"

"He's the Guardian of Life. You can't destroy Life for a long time; bad things happen when you do."

"But Sandy's taken so long…"

Manny answered briskly, "Because you were able to take up his mantle. Also, dreams occur regardless of whether they are good or bad. Eventually, he will return. Different, but with the same Center."

Jack looked over to the black jewel. "So what do you want with Pitch?"

At this Manny stepped forward. "Pitch was originally a human, so he will be reborn as another. I want to… prevent previous mistakes from happening again."

Jack glared up at Manny. "What if it's too much for you?"

Manny only smirked. "Well then we'd better hope the other Guardians are reborn in time, yes? Now, may I have it?"

Jack studied Tsar Lunar carefully. Then he demanded, "I will raise the other four myself. You will not touch them, or even see them without my permission."

The man only shrugged. "Fair enough. Now, the jewel?"

For a moment, Jack weighed the stone in his hand. Finally, he sighed, and handed it over.

"Thank you, Jackson," Manny replied easily, pocketing the jewel. "A final piece of advice: Pooka age remarkably slow. If you ever need my assistance…"

"I'll call," Jack stated.

"And this time, I promise that I will answer."

And with that, the man left, leaving Jack alone in the hospital room.

Jack turned his gaze back down to the baby Pooka in his arms, Aster. With an exhausted sigh, too worn out to think, Jack fell down onto the bed. He ignored the blood that still stained the sheets, unable to care.

And as he drifted off to sleep, he only stared at the bundle of fur in his arms, and held it close, never letting go of his hope again.

* * *

**A/N**: *copy-pastes author's note from Ao3 because I'm sort of in a hurry to write other things sorry*

Ah, sorry if that seems like a lazy ending. I decided to go with a somewhat happy finish, because the other option was making me depressed just thinking about it. Basically Pitch's Center would have been bound to an egg-shaped jewel form of Bunny's center (before either would be reincarnated), and Jack would have to be forced to destroy both or give them up to Manny to become a new Dark!Bunny. But then the others would all reincarnate as normal.

Before anyone asks (I only say this because I left this slightly open-ended), I will most likely not be continuing this into a sequel. If I ever do, it would be because I've finished everything else and have no other ideas. (I mean, I already have a plot planned out, I just _really_ don't want to write it/don't like it too much. It strays too far from the theme of these six chapters.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this prolonged version of Jackrabbit Week! :3 Love you guys!  
~Renoku


End file.
